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WGBH Forum Network; Fighting Words: Framing the Constitution

10/05/2006

Fighting Words: Framing the Constitution
Robin Morgan, writer
The religious right is gaining enormous power in the United States, thanks to a well-organized, media-savvy movement with powerful friends in high places. Many Americans, both observant and secular, are alarmed by this trend, especially by the religious right's attempts to erase the boundary between church and state and re-make the US into a Christian nation. But most Americans lack the tools for arguing with the religious right, especially when fundamentalist conservatives claim their tradition started with the Framers of The Constitution.
Fighting Words is a a toolkit for arguing, especially for those of us who may not have read the founding documents of this nation since grade school. Robin Morgan has assembled a lively, accessible, eye-opening primer and reference tool, a "verbal karate" guide, revealing what the Framers and many other leading Americans believed in their own words. Fighting Words: A Toolkit for Combating the Religious Right overturns notions of the Founders as a bunch of dusty, pompous old men in powdered wigs, and resurrects them as the revolutionaries they were: a hodgepodge of freethinkers, Deists, agnostics, Christians, atheists, Freemasons, and all of them radicals.

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Program Description

FIGHTING WORDS: FRAMING THE CONSTITUTION
ROBIN MORGAN, WRITER

THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT IS GAINING ENORMOUS POWER IN THE UNITED STATES, THANKS TO A WELL-ORGANIZED, MEDIA-SAVVY MOVEMENT WITH POWERFUL FRIENDS IN HIGH PLACES. MANY AMERICANS, BOTH OBSERVANT AND SECULAR, ARE ALARMED BY THIS TREND, ESPECIALLY BY THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT'S ATTEMPTS TO ERASE THE BOUNDARY BETWEEN CHURCH AND STATE AND RE-MAKE THE US INTO A CHRISTIAN NATION. BUT MOST AMERICANS LACK THE TOOLS FOR ARGUING WITH THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT, ESPECIALLY WHEN FUNDAMENTALIST CONSERVATIVES CLAIM THEIR TRADITION STARTED WITH THE FRAMERS OF THE CONSTITUTION.

FIGHTING WORDS IS A A TOOLKIT FOR ARGUING, ESPECIALLY FOR THOSE OF US WHO MAY NOT HAVE READ THE FOUNDING DOCUMENTS OF THIS NATION SINCE GRADE SCHOOL. ROBIN MORGAN HAS ASSEMBLED A LIVELY, ACCESSIBLE, EYE-OPENING PRIMER AND REFERENCE TOOL, A "VERBAL KARATE" GUIDE, REVEALING WHAT THE FRAMERS AND MANY OTHER LEADING AMERICANS BELIEVED IN THEIR OWN WORDS. FIGHTING WORDS: A TOOLKIT FOR COMBATING THE RELIGIOUS RIGHT OVERTURNS NOTIONS OF THE FOUNDERS AS A BUNCH OF DUSTY, POMPOUS OLD MEN IN POWDERED WIGS, AND RESURRECTS THEM AS THE REVOLUTIONARIES THEY WERE: A HODGEPODGE OF FREETHINKERS, DEISTS, AGNOSTICS, CHRISTIANS, ATHEISTS, FREEMASONS, AND ALL OF THEM RADICALS.